I remember calling my brother around 9:30 at night one time. He had just gotten done work. I was complaining about how bad my back was hurting and how I wished I could get a massage. My brother drove to my house and rubbed my back for me. No complaints. He was more than happy to help me anytime he could.
I remember one time my brother and I were out early in the morning riding our bikes. As we wheeled back into our driveway, he stopped a little too fast and somehow, his leg got caught in between the chain on his bike. I had to go wake our Dad up, who wasn't happy about being disturbed so early in the morning! But once I told him what happened, he rushed outside with a tub of butter to help my brother get his leg unstuck.
I remember one time my brother thought it would be a good idea to put a piece of cardboard over his skateboard and sit down on it while riding down what we called "acorn hill." It was a pretty long, twisty road in our neighborhood. Inevitably, the cardboard slid off the skateboard and my brother slid half way down the hill on his ass. He walked around for a good week with a patch of his red Umbra shorts stuck to his butt. He refused to pull them off the wound and made my Dad cut the shorts off, leaving the patch of red shorts stuck to his buttocks for at least a week!
I remember when my brother got out of the shower one afternoon and walked into my room looking like he was going to cry. I asked him what was wrong and he replied "I need you to look at something for me." I said okay and asked what he wanted me to look at. He said, "I think I have hemorrhoids." I protested, telling him I was NOT going to look at any hemorrhoids on my own brother. We have boundaries! But he begged me. He said it hurt him so bad he couldn't sit down and he didn't know what else to do. Finally, I gave in. He lifted his towel a slight bit to expose just the edge of his butt cheek. I got hysterical laughing when I realized what he thought was a hemorrhoid was nothing more than a pimple on his lower butt cheek! He was mortified and made me promise not to tell. I never did...well, at least not while he was alive.
I remember one night watching the 11 o'clock news and seeing a tornado warning flash across the screen. I am a compulsive worrier and immediately grabbed my pillow and blanket and headed downstairs to the basement where my brothers room was. He was trying to sleep when I barged in with my bedding-ready to bunker down. He asked what I was doing and I told him I was sleeping down there incase a tornado came. He was annoyed and expressed how ridiculous he thought I was, but after he was done, he slid over and let me sleep there, in the basement, where I felt safe.
I remember one day when my brother was visiting me, after I had moved out of our family home. I had a few cats at that time and their litter box was in the downstairs bathroom. I remember him opening the bathroom door and looking back at me with a look on his face that told me it was time to scoop the litter. Then turned around and as he was closing the door behind him, he said "I'm gonna give you cats some competition!"
I remember his smile, his laugh and his bright blue eyes. I remember his kindness, his compassion and his gentle nature. I remember his flair for life and his desire to be positive and have fun. I remember his lectures to me about loosening up and worrying less. He would tell me to listen more and argue less. His advice was wise beyond his years. I remember his very last phone call to me. It was a Sunday afternoon and I was cleaning my bedroom. I talked to my brother every day, but I always called him unless there was something specific he needed. But that day, he called me out of the blue. We talked for a good hour before I asked him if he called for any specific reason. He said, "Nah, just wanted to talk." My brother, Nick, was killed the next day.
Today is his birthday. He would be celebrating turning 31 right now, instead, his life was cut short because of a careless drunk driver and no seat belt. I miss my brother Nick with all my heart and soul. He was my best friend and I often feel lost without him here. There isn't a day that passes that I don't think of him, wish he was still here with us and hope he is "somewhere" looking out for those of us who were left behind. Happy Birthday Nick. I love you from the depths of my soul and hope and pray you are able to celebrate the day you entered this world where ever you may be.
xoxoxo~
Mandy
Recent Comments